And so a lot of things were happening in the prisoner camps. Meaning that actually the Vietnamese, well they didn't have much food for their troops, so the French soldiers were on the same diet as the Vietnamese soldiers, meaning with very little food. So and then- So disaster for the one that didn't like rice.

[BC] Yes. I can imagine.

No but some died of hunger, because they couldn't eat rice. Yes, yes it's incredible. We can't imagine that. So. So there were sessions- Sessions, I don't mean of indoctrination but of explanation, well of education. Meaning that they explained to the French soldiers- you are colonialists and we are democrats. So there was a whole explanation, etc., so after a while. That would happen just before supper. So and after a while, when the guy had given his explanation it was- so, you! What have I just said? Well- you have just said that we are colonialists and that you are democrats. And then he explains- Right but you've just repeated what I have just said? Well yes. No no but- so explain it to me in different words. That was annoying because- there was only one thing that didn't change which was that we were colonialists and that they were democrats. So there was something extraordinary, because I saw, it isn't complicated. When the guys arrived, released, they went through the B2, the B2 is- Earlier I was talking about the B3 which ran the operation services, the 3rd department, in this case it's the B2, it's security, meaning spying, security. And so they talked to the guy, how did it go, etc. Well anyway the guy wanted to say that he wasn't Communist, well I only have one thing to say, I am not democrat. So the other guy wrote down Communist. Well yes, it was one or the other. That's it, so there was that thing. So Pierre was released and so all the guys that were releases had to go to- So they had to go to the sanitary service to see if they were all right, those who weren't were treated and then sent back to France, etc. And he had asked to go back to France but through the east instead of the west, meaning via Hong Kong, the United States, etc. And in Hong Kong he met Kessel. Since Schoendoerffer was very bright, well he charmed Joseph Kessel and when he arrived in Paris they saw each other again. And at the time there was- The Italians made films- at the time-

[BC] Did you came back on your own?

I came back on my own.

[BC] Long after?

Quite a while later. Much much late even. You'll see why I came back. No no, a long time afterwards.

French cinematographer, Raoul Coutard (1924-2016) was twice nominated for the César Award for best cinematography which he won in 1978 for 'Le Crabe-tambour'. He made over 75 films and documentaries, including 'À Bout de Souffle', Le Mépris' and 'Band à Part'. He was the most acclaimed French cinematographer of his generation and one of the key figures of the New Wave.

Benard Cohn is a French filmmaker and writer, who has directed five films as well as numerous documentaries and television series. As an assistant director, he worked with many important filmmakers, including Luis Buñuel, François Jacob, Otto Preminger and Woody Allen. He was a founding member of the Ciné-Qua-Non cinema club and has acted as editor and translator for various publications on the world of cinema.